Cutting machine for grass and the like



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CUTTING MACHINE FOR GRASS AND THE LIKE Filed Deo. 24 1925 2 Shee'tsmhee'l; 2

Imllll lll l [l il Patented Jan. 10,1928.

FREDERICK M. DURKEE, F BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CUTTING MACHINE FDR GRASS .AND THE LIKE.

Application led December 24, 1925. Serial No. 77,428.

t power driven cutting members.

lt is an object of the invention to produce a machine of the above class which is light and simple in structure, yet durable, and which may be propelled and directed lll with such ease that a child can operate it.

cut whether it is .propelled forwardly or in ift 'il shearing cut.

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lt is a further object `of the invention to so construct and arrange the cutting memhersl that the grass or growth is actually eut, and not pulled, as is the case in t-he i great majority of grass cutters at present in use which action disturbs the roots and tends to hill the growth.

is a further object of the invention to produce a grass cutter which operates to the reverse direction, and wherein the cutting members operate independently of a cutting bar or back board or the like, and accomplish a Scythe or sickle out, and not a Another and a very important obiect'of the invention is to so construct and arrange each or any of the cutting members that the cutting movement thereof creates favorilll able drafts of air which straighten up limp7 wealr, or trampled growth that is not upstanding, and positions it for the said meinhers 'to act upon it.

llt is not linown that a grass cutting machine has ever been used wherein the op eration of the machine generated air currents which caused the growth to be straightened up, and in fact drawn into the paths of rapidly moving cutting edges, nor is it known that a machine has ever been used wherein the cutting members lwere so constructed as to set up favorable air currents, nor wherein such a cutting member was ever used without the aid of a back hoard, bar or a similar cutting edge to act in conjunction therewith for the purpose of severing the growth.

lffrom the foregoing it will be understood that it is not the intention to limit the invention to the precise construction and arrangement shown .as various changes might he made therein without departing from its spirit and scope..

@ther objects of the invention will be fully understood from a description of the drawings and the claims hereinafter given.

Of the drawings:

Figure l represents a side elevation of one form of grass cutter in which the invention might be used..

Figure 2 is a view looking toward the right Figure l., y

lligure 3 is a top plan view of lFigure 2 partially hrolren away.,

litigare 4 is a section on the line l-4l lFigs ure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail in front elevation showing a protective guard attached.

ltigure 6 is a section on the line 6 6 ligure 5.

ligure 'l is an enlarged top plan view of one of the cutting members detached from the machine.

lhigure 8 is a section on the line @-l litigure 7.

lligure 9 is an edge view of lligure il Lilie characters represent lilre parte throughout the several figures of the drawmg.

Referring to the drawings:

rlhe drawings herewith illustrate the invention in one of the many forms in which it might he used, but it will be understood that it is not the intention to limit it to the precise construction and arrangement shown as various changes might be made therein without departing from its spirit and scope.

lor convenience of illustration and de scription the invent-ion has been arranged to be applied to a grass cutting machine and comprises a platform or cutter-supporting frame 10 provided with depending lugs 1l having the holes 12 to receive the studs lll which serve as axles for the wheels 1d, the said holes being vertically arranged so that the platform 10 may be adjusted toward or from the ground the said studs being held in adjusted position by the nuts 13X.

The platform 10 has fast therewith and depending therefrom a plurality of sleeves or bearings 15, arranged to receive shafts 1G the upper ends of each of which have fast thereto a gear 17, each in mesh with its neighbor and all being driven from the middle gear which has holes 18 to receive pins 19 projecting from a disk 20 fast on the shaft 21 of a motor 22. Y

At their lower ends each of the said shafts 16 has fast therewith a cutting member 23 of novel construction, three of which are in this instance arranged and constructed to rotate and cut in one direction or that of litt till

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the rotation of their shafts, while two rotate and cut in an opposite direction.

This precise arrangement 1s not essential but 1t happens to occur 1n this presentation of the invention.

The motor for driving the cutting members is for convenience shown herein as an electric motor but it will be understood that anyisuitable drivin" power might be used, while the uiding handle 24 might be arran d as st suits the conditions or use.

e primary object of the invention. is to produce a cutting machine having rapidly moving cutting members and arranged to have movement relatively with respect to the material or growth to be cut, and by air drafts induced by vacuum creating devices carried by the machine cause the said matcrial o1' growth to be drawn into the most advantageous position for the said cutting members tocomplete their work.

A simple means for attaining this last mentioned object is to provide a plurality of rotatable cutting members having vacuum creating portions either forming a part thereof or attached thereto` but as the invention contemplates the formation of air drafts to aid in arranging the material or growth for the cutting members to act thereon, it is not the intention to limit the invention to the particular arrangement of cutting member shown, as other means acting in unison with the movements of the cutting member might be employed' to accomplish the same pu ose.

Viewing Figure 4 it will be seen that the ath of the cutting edges 25 of each memr 23 overlaps that of its neighbor so that a continuous and uninterrupted swath may be cut whether the machine is travelling in a forward or reverse direction.

As before stated, certain of the cutting members 23 rotate and cut in one direction, while others rotate and cut in the opposite direction, and therefore, they may be said to be made right and left handed, but since the principle involved is the same in each, it. is only necessary to explain the construction of one of them to enable the operation of the others to be understood.

The particular cutting member 23 shown herein is stamped out of sheet steel, and is formed so as to present four blade like parts 26 having the radially arranged cutting edges 25 at the front thereof, and a tapered upwardly curved or rolled rear marginal portion 27, terminating in a slightly outwardly inclined edge 28.

AThe marginal portion 27 preferably starts its taper and upward roll at the periphery 29 of the bladeportion 26, gradually increasing in height and abruptness of wall up to approximately the point 30 where the roll is directed inwardly to form the highest and most abrupt portion or wall 31 of the said :,oaalos marginal portion which terminates in a suhstantially vertical edge 28.

When the cutting member 23 is rotated, a column of air w1ll be lifted by the upturned marginal edge 27, its volume increasing and its rapidity of upward movement becoming accelerated as the inner terminal of the marginal portion is approached, at which point the air column is iven a final impetus by the inwardly rolle portion 31 which directs it inwardly and upwardly in a substantially vertical column of considerable density to surround the bearing 15, and thus provide a barrier which cut grass or material cannot penetrate to become wound about the said bearing 15.

It will be evident that the column of air lifted by the top face portions of the upwardly and inwardly rolled marginal edges will create a vacuum at the bottom face which will be filled by an upward rush of air directly behind the said edges and immediately in front of the cutting edges 25, which will cause limp and trampled grass or drooping material to become straightened and drawn into the path of the said cutting edges.

In practice a guard 35 will be arranged below the cutting members 23 to prevent the said cutters or the hubs thereof from contact with lumpy spots when the machine is to be used mowing lawns, and while the said guard has its front and rear edges located quite close to the path of the cutting edges of the members 23, they do not eooperate therewith to aid in the cutting operation as the said members do not require such aid.

At the rea-r the machine is provided with a guard 36 to protect the feet of the operator from injury by contact with the machine or the cutting members thereof.

The present invention is an improvement on an application iled by me August 6, 1925, Ser. No. 48,626, in which application the cutting members are flat, and no attempt has been made to so construct them that they would create air drafts as in the present application.

Having described the invention I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, a cutter supporting frame; a plurality of rotating cutting members mounted on said frame; means to actuate said members, and rotating fan blades carried by said frame and serving to create air drafts whereby the material to be cut is straightened and drawn into the paths of said cutting members to be cut thereby.

2. In a machine of the class described, a cutter supporting frame; means to provide for adjustment of said frame relatively to the material to be cut; a plurality of cutting members mounted on said frame; a motor mounted on said frame for driving :aid

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cutting' members, and fan blades forming part of said members for creating air drafts whereby the material to be cut is vstraightened and drawn into the path of said memhers te be cut thereby.

El. ln a machine of the class described, a

cutter supporting frame; a plurality of cut- J cutter supporting trarne; a plurality of rctatahle cutting members mounted on said traine, each of said members comprisin a plurality et cutting blades each of which gas an upwardly turned portion at the rear inherent which increases in width and ecn--l sequently height from the free ends thereof inwardly; means to rotate said cutting members; and a guard interposed between the said cutting members and the material to be cut.

5. In a. machine of the class described, a cutter supporting frame.; a plurality of rotatable members mounted on said frame, each comprising a plurality of combined cutting and fen blades and each of said blades having an upwardly turned tan blade at its rear which increases in width and consequently height from the free' end thereof inwardly; means te rotate said members, and .a guard between said members and the material to be cut..

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, I

this 19th day o December, 1925.

FREDERICK M. DlllRltElilu 

